North Carolina's Eric Ebron is the consensus number one tight end in this draft, and even though I have been fairly critical of his overall hype in the past, some qualified NFL draft experts and scouts believe that the gap is not even a tight one. In fact Ebron could possibly end up being the only tight end selected in round one this year.

Ebron (85) had 8 receptions for 199 yards and 1 touchdown against Miami this past season, his best game ever at UNC.

This kid is a 6'4 250 pound athletic freak of nature who has solid speed for a tight end, and has the awareness to potentially grab about any football within his area. If Ebron were a basketball player we would describe his game as that which is played 'above the rim.' He caught a school record 62 passes for another school record 973 receiving yards in what became his final year at North Carolina, and was believed to be one of the top two tight ends right out of the gate along with Texas Tech's Jace Amaro; who by the way I would say is more at least a more polished receiver at the moment. In the eyes of credible scouts and other NFL personnel he has done nothing short of distance himself ever since. I compare him to Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers because Davis was also a big-time athlete while coming out of college, and it took Davis a while to really get going and get acclimated to the NFL, who's now he's an elite NFL tight end. I see Ebron as a bit of a project who will take 2-3 years or so before we really begin to see him tap all-into his massive potential.

Only time will tell whether or not Eric Ebron will truly become an elite tight end.

Ebron is projected to get selected anywhere from the back-end of the top 10 to around the 18th overall selection or so, which is coincidentally owned by the New York Jets.

Hmm...I wonder if they would have any interest...

Oh, they do? Oh, that's right!

The Jets have allegedly met with Ebron multiple times, the last of which being as recently as about April 23rd or so, and are hoping to have a shot at landing him at 18. The likeliness however is not at all in their favor as the following teams will more than likely be looking at Ebron on draft day:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7th overall).

Buffalo Bills (9th overall).

Tennessee Titans (11th overall).

New York Giants (12th overall).

Pittsburgh Steelers (15th overall).

Baltimore Ravens (17th overall).

Raise your hand if you believe that one of these six teams will have snatched up Eric Ebron by the time the Jets select at 18.

Well damn, that's a lot of you isn't it?

Not that I believe the Jets would make this move when all is said and done, but if Ebron is still around after the Giants select perhaps, which may be possible, than I could fathom to witness a trade where the Jets would attempt to jump ahead of their AFC companions to address their dire need for yet another offensive weapon, which is ultimately what Eric Ebron is.

So while sitting there waiting for Ebron to fall may not work, here are a few trade scenario's that could unfold on draft day that may result in the Jets landing the uber-athletic tight end.

Bilal Powell can be used as trade bait in order to move up in this year's draft.

Offer 18th overall selection and running back Bilal Powell to the Chicago Bears for the 14th overall selection & either the 183rd or 191st selection (6th round).

This works for the Chicago Bears because they're looking to add depth at the running back position, as evident by them working out running backs over the last couple of weeks, and acquiring Bilal Powell would address a need there. Moving back 4 spots doesn't kill them either because they can still help their defensive line or defensive secondary at 18 with a variety of options which could possibly include Timmy Jernigan, Louis Nix III, or Calvin Pryor. After the Chris Johnson signing the Jets seem to be set at running back with him to go along with Chris Ivory, Mike Goodson, and the aforementioned Powell, which makes either of the latter two expendable. The Jets would obviously address their need at tight end early, and can still land a quality wide receiver in day 2 such as Donte Moncrief, Allen Robinson, or Jordan Matthews.

The Lions may not be looking to move back 8 spots, however the currency in which these draft picks hold is of greater value than ever before with the current collective bargaining agreement in place. Organizations love cheap labor, therefore they love draft picks. The Lions could still add a Darqueze Dennard or a Kyle Fuller to address their situation at corner, or possibly Calvin Pryor or HaHa Clinton-Dix to help out at safety with this pick.

We're at the 8th overall pick, and the Minnesota Vikings want to stock up on draft picks later on while arriving at the conclusion that they aren't in love with Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, or Blake Bortles enough to select either of the three at number eight. Instead, they'll drop to 18 with a shot at landing at least one of the three. Or perhaps they really like Derek Carr and are willing to move back to get the quarterback they want while simultaneously adding another 3rd round choice--they have two others--in the process.

But why would they Jets want to move all the way up to number 8 to get Eric Ebron?

Simple, they want him, they need him, and did you already forget who has the 9th overall pick?

The division rival Buffalo Bills, and they're said to be very high on him.

I rest my case.

Category - NFL Coverage - What Will it Take for the New York Jets to Land Eric Ebron?